Head of Public Policy

PayU; Maharashtra; On-site; INR 6,000,000 - 9,000,000; Full time

Job summary

PayU, India's leading online payment solutions provider, invites applications for Head of Public Policy. Mumbai/Gurgaon-based role shaping PayU’s policy strategy, engaging with regulators and government bodies to enable growth across the digital payments ecosystem.

The ideal candidate will drive strategic advocacy, monitor regulatory developments, and lead cross-functional teams to position PayU favorably within a dynamic financial services landscape in India.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in public policy, government affairs, or international public affairs roles.
• Deep network with India’s regulatory, government and administrative authorities.
• Strong understanding of financial services, technology, or the digital payments ecosystem.
• Experience in high-growth financial services organisations with regulators or policy-influencing stakeholders.
• Expertise in strategic advocacy, stakeholder management and policy communication.
• Excellent interpersonal, representational and presentation skills.
• Ability to operate independently while leading a high-performing team.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Policy Leadership: Design, refine and execute PayU’s public policy and government affairs strategy in close partnership with the CEO and senior business leaders, ensuring alignment with the company’s commercial priorities and long-term growth agenda.
• Regulatory Intelligence: Monitor political, regulatory and policy developments at national and state levels, identifying risks and opportunities for PayU. Provide timely insights, analysis and recommendations to guide business strategy and regulatory positioning.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Build, strengthen and manage relationships with key government institutions, including the Ministry of Finance, RBI, central and state departments, and other public sector bodies.
• Advocacy & Representation: Engage consistently with lawmakers, regulators and policy makers to shape policy outcomes and regulatory approaches that support PayU’s business interests.
• External Communication: Develop and deliver clear, compelling policy communication and thought leadership aligned with business priorities and PayU’s global brand.
• Executive Interface Management: Identify senior government stakeholders for engagement with PayU leadership and establish the appropriate communication channels.
• Regulatory Briefings: Ensure regular, well-structured interactions between PayU business leaders and relevant regulatory authorities.
• Third-Party Management: Select, onboard and manage external government affairs advisors, industry associations, trade bodies and diplomatic missions.
• Industry Collaboration: Cultivate relationships with ecosystem participants including banks, partners, and competitors to understand industry dynamics.
• Public Representation: Represent PayU at conferences, public forums, legislative hearings and industry roundtables to advance PayU’s policy viewpoints.
• Risk Assessment: Identify regulatory shifts and reputational risks, providing early warnings and aligning with leadership to mitigate impact.
• Cross-Functional Partnership: Work with legal, compliance, product, risk and business teams to integrate policy considerations into planning.

Job description

PayU, India's leading online payment solutions provider, is regulated under the Reserve Bank of India and has advanced solutions to meet the digital payment needs of the Indian market.

India aims to create a full-stack digital financial services platform to serve all (tapped and untapped) financial needs of customers (merchants, banks and consumers) through technology.

PayU provides payment gateway solutions to online businesses through its cutting-edge and award-winning technology. PayU is one of the leading payment gateways in India & has empowered 5 lakhs+ businesses, including leading enterprises, e-commerce giants and SMBs. It enables businesses to collect digital payments across 150+ online payment methods such as Credit Cards, Debit Cards, Net Banking, EMIs, BNPL, QR, UPI, Wallets, and more. It is a preferred partner in the affordability ecosystem, offering the maximum coverage of issuers & easy to implement integrations across card-based EMIs, pay later options and new-age card-less EMIs. PayU offers merchants best in industry success rates while ensuring a seamless checkout experience.

Role - Head of Public Policy

Location - Mumbai/Gurgaon

Role Description

The Head of Public Policy and Government Relations is a strategic leadership role responsible for shaping and advancing PayU’s growth agenda through effective engagement with government, regulatory bodies and key stakeholders. The role will lead the design and execution of PayU’s public policy strategy, working collaboratively with national and state governments, regulators, public sector institutions and industry partners. The mandate is to influence policy and regulatory frameworks that enable a fair, competitive and growth-oriented environment for PayU’s current and future businesses.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Policy Leadership: Design, refine and execute PayU’s public policy and government affairs strategy in close partnership with the CEO and senior business leaders, ensuring alignment with the company’s commercial priorities and long-term growth agenda.
• Regulatory Intelligence: Monitor political, regulatory and policy developments at national and state levels, identifying risks and opportunities for PayU. Provide timely insights, analysis and recommendations to guide business strategy and regulatory positioning.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Build, strengthen and manage relationships with key government institutions, including the Ministry of Finance, RBI, central and state departments, and other public sector bodies. Articulate PayU’s value proposition to enhance trust and credibility.
• Advocacy & Representation: Engage consistently with lawmakers, regulators and policy makers to shape policy outcomes and regulatory approaches that support PayU’s business interests and competitive advantage.
• External Communication: Develop and deliver clear, compelling policy communication and thought leadership aligned with business priorities and PayU’s global brand, enhancing the company’s reputation in the policy and regulatory ecosystem.
• Executive Interface Management: Identify senior government stakeholders for engagement with PayU leadership and establish the appropriate communication channels, ensuring strategic and well-coordinated outreach.
• Regulatory Briefings: Ensure regular, well-structured interactions between PayU business leaders and relevant regulatory authorities, enabling transparent dialogue and proactive issue management.
• Third-Party Management: Select, onboard and manage external government affairs advisors, industry associations, trade bodies, diplomatic missions and civil society partners to strengthen PayU’s advocacy and influence.
• Industry Collaboration: Cultivate relationships with ecosystem participants—including banks, partners, and where permissible, competitors to understand industry dynamics and coordinate collective positions on key policy issues.
• Public Representation: Represent PayU at conferences, public forums, legislative hearings, association committees and industry roundtables to advance PayU’s viewpoints and elevate its public policy profile.
• Risk Assessment: Identify emerging regulatory shifts, political and reputational risks, providing early warnings and ensuring alignment with leadership to mitigate potential impact on the business.
• Cross-Functional Partnership: Work closely with legal, compliance, product, risk and business teams to integrate policy considerations into planning and execution, ensuring the organization is well-prepared for regulatory shifts.

Ideal Experience

• 15+ years of experience in public policy, government affairs, or international public affairs roles
• Deep network with India’s regulatory, government and administrative authorities, supported by an active and credible network of senior government and regulatory stakeholders.
• Must have strong understanding of financial services, technology, or the digital payments ecosystem; acumen and the ability to navigate complex regulatory environments.
• Strong experience in high-growth financial services organisations, preferably in roles requiring regular interaction with regulators or policy-influencing stakeholders.
• Expertise in strategic advocacy, stakeholder management and policy communication, with the ability to craft persuasive narratives and influence diverse audiences.
• Exceptional interpersonal, representational and presentation skills, combined with a confident and authoritative communication style across written, verbal and public forums.
• Ability to operate independently while leading a high-performing team and collaborating effectively with cross-functional partners in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.

Role Description

The Head of Public Policy and Government Relations is a strategic leadership role responsible for shaping and advancing PayU’s growth agenda through effective engagement with government, regulatory bodies and key stakeholders. The role will lead the design and execution of PayU’s public policy strategy, working collaboratively with national and state governments, regulators, public sector institutions and industry partners. The mandate is to influence policy and regulatory frameworks that enable a fair, competitive and growth-oriented environment for PayU’s current and future businesses.

Our Commitment to Building A Diverse and Inclusive Workforce

As a global and multi-cultural organization with varied ethnicities thriving across locations, we realize that our responsibility towards fulfilling the D&I commitment is huge. Therefore, we continuously strive to create a diverse, inclusive, and safe environment, for all our people, communities, and customers. Our leaders are committed to create an inclusive work culture which enables transparency, flexibility, and unbiased attention to every PayUneer so they can succeed, irrespective of gender, color, or personal faith. An environment where every person feels they belong, that they are listened to, and where they are empowered to speak up. At PayU we have zero tolerance towards any form of prejudice whether a specific race, ethnicity, or of persons with disabilities, or the LGBTQ communities.